


Just A Smile

by EnnArr



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aunt Minevra McGonagall, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Half-Blood Hermione Granger, Hermione/Regulus friendship, Implied Remus Lupin/Regulus Black, Lily Evans Potter Bashing, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), OOC, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Plain Hermione Granger, Pureblood Minerva McGonagall, Ravenclaw Hermione Granger, Severus Snape Bashing, Short Chapters, Teenage Drama, no time travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 20,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27867742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnnArr/pseuds/EnnArr
Summary: She was plain, boring, unremarkable—uninteresting. "My name is Hermione Granger." But then she smiled, and James was hooked. Everyone knew that James was undeniably, completely, madly, truly, irrevocably, in all honesty, head-over-boots in love with Hermione Granger... aside from her. So, what does he do about it? Multiple POVs. Fluff with a dash of drama and a splice of angst. (Updates Everyday)
Relationships: Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, Charlus Potter/Dorea Black Potter, Hermione Granger/James Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, Mary Macdonald/Peter Pettigrew
Comments: 31
Kudos: 309





	1. James Potter

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.**

** Chapter One **

**_James Potter_ **

A familiar melodic laughter somehow stood out among the buzzing chatter in the Great Hall. It reached a Sixth Year Gryffindor with messy jet-black hair that stuck out at odd angles. James Potter's ears perked up and he whipped his head to the direction of the sound, his heart soaring.

His hazel eyes—always gleaming with mischief but now dreamy and glazed—sought the person responsible for the beautiful sound of laughter that made his stomach clench and his heart leap.

His eyes landed on her.

Soft tawny eyes. Wild and bushy brown hair. Pearly white teeth. Most of all, a beautiful smile to complete the package. Seeing her made his legs weak and his palms sweat. He began wiping them on his robes as he stared at her.

Her name was Hermione Granger and she was going to be his future wife.

Although she didn't know that last bit yet.

"Doesn't she look beautiful, Pads?" He questioned, a large smile on his lips. He hadn't received an answer, so he began punching his companion repeatedly on the arm—though lightly, of course—without removing his gaze from the unsuspecting witch. "Hey, Pads. Pads. Padfoot. Sirius. Black. Pads!"

"Oy!" James could hear the scowl in Sirius' voice. "Stop doing that! This is abuse! I’m being abused, Moony!"

Remus only rolled his eyes at them while James ignored Sirius’ protests.

"Doesn't she look beautiful, Pads?" He only repeated, dreamily.

"I heard you the first time!"

"Then, why aren't you answering me?" He quipped, still watching her talk to her housemates.

Her blue and bronze Ravenclaw uniform really brought out her tawny eyes and sun kissed skin. She never failed to make him feel warm with her laughter or her smile. Her smile made him want to smile. Her laugh made him want to laugh. Everything about her made him feel light and content. He wondered if this was what muggle drugs felt like.

"Because I know you won't listen to my answer anyway!"

She was so beautiful. Everything about her was beautiful and enchanting in the simplest way, making her more special and precious to him. She had a certain grace in her movements; it’s her actions that betrayed how gentle and shy she was. Her beauty was a quiet and hidden way that was breathtaking once you discovered it.

"See?!" Sirius harrumphed when his messy jet-black haired friend failed to give him a response yet again, proving his point.

"Did you say something?" James smiled slowly as he watched her throw her head back, still laughing without care, her grin brightening her whole face.

Sirius exasperatedly threw his hands up in the air. James smiled sheepishly.


	2. Hogwarts Academy

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.**

** Chapter Two  **

_**Hogwarts Academy** _

Everyone knew the story of Lily Evans and James Potter—how it began and how it ended. The whole Hogwarts had seen it for four years; four grueling years of hexes, screams, dramatic walkouts and the most outlandish love declarations spanning from a loud 'I love you' in the hallway, to bad poetry and off key songs, up until to the 'Will You Marry Me' in the Great Hall.

Everyone was just waiting for Lily to accept James' date—and/or marriage—proposals. They were so sure that the outspoken, vivacious, and temperamental redheaded Gryffindor was going to give in someday in one way or another. It was just a matter of time. Many had placed bets on where, when, and how. Even the teachers had partaken in the so-called bet, confident that they were going to win.

What they never took account on and never expected in their wildest dreams was for James Potter to fall in love with someone else until that faithful night when Professor McGonagall's niece showed up in their Sixth Year.

The first time they heard about her was from Headmaster Dumbledore three days after term started. They were having dinner when he announced that Professor McGonagall's niece was going to start studying in Hogwarts after being homeschooled for five years. She would arrive next week, and they should all make her feel welcomed.

The second time was when they started pestering Professor McGonagall about her.

"My brother's daughter," the stern Head of House in Gryffindor told those who asked with a frown on her thin lips.

They asked why she never mentioned her.

"My brother and I had a falling out years before she was born," Professor McGonagall answered impatiently. "We had different beliefs and views in life. I never found out about her existence until the day he sent me a letter telling me that he was ill, and he needed me to take care of her when he died. He passed away on the 29th of August."

They said their condolences and she said her thanks.

When they asked why her last name was different from hers, she gave them an unimpressed stare.

"Granger is my maiden name," she told them in a casual manner.

They were shocked. They didn't know that McGonagall was married.

The third and last time was when the second week of term came and that meant that McGonagall's niece had finally arrived. It was Sunday night when they first saw her, and she was introduced to them.

She stood in front of the Great Hall, looking unremarkably plain. She had bushy brown hair and brown eyes. She was slender and short but with long legs and arms. There wasn't anything attractive about her. None. Nothing that could capture their interest. Nothing that could make her attractive to them. It was underwhelming seeing her for the first time since they heard about her.

She was plain, boring, unremarkable—uninteresting.

"My name is Hermione Granger."

But then she smiled, and James was hooked.


	3. James Potter II

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Three **

_** James Potter II ** _

"Ouch! Ow! Ahh!"

Everyone in the library lifted their heads because of the odd noise and commotion that occurred. A few people ducked while others watched as several books flew by and started chasing and attacking James Potter and Sirius Black around the library. They were in disbelief as Madame Pince chasing after the books, waving her wand futilely whilst she screeched at the boys to stop running.

"Is she crazy?" Sirius hissed at James as he ducked behind a bookshelf. "Doesn't she see the number of books trying to kill us?!"

"Ow!" James howled and gritted his teeth before sprinting, pulling Sirius behind him, when a book had bitten his ankle.

A bloody book. Bit. Him.

He didn't even know that books had teeth and that it would hurt!

"More running, less talking!" He panted to the grey eyed boy.

It wasn't supposed to end up that way; with books chasing them and with them running for their lives. For one thing, it was supposed to be Snivellus in the first place.

They learned the day before that the greasy git was going to study in the library for a Potions test tomorrow afternoon. James had an ingenious plan to sabotage him. He thought of a way to charm the books so that whenever Snape opened one, it would automatically attack him.

Sirius laughed and exclaimed that he was a genius. Remus only shook his head and continued reading. Peter merely asked if they could go to the kitchens that night.

He thought that it was a great idea.

If only he and Padfoot weren't pants at Charms, that is.

One misspoke Latin word, one wrong flick, and a dozen of books suddenly became animated and started attacking them, thus prompted Madame Pince to chase after the books, and in effect, them.

"Heeeelp!" Sirius shrieked, waving his hands in the air like a madman as they both frantically headed towards the doors.

"Go! Go! Go!" James pushed Sirius, scrambling behind him, feeling his ankle throb in pain.

They were about to welcome their freedom when someone had stepped in the doorway, completely blocking their exit, and James dug his heels on the floor when he saw wild brown hair and tawny eyes. He halted and grabbed Sirius on his collar, preventing him from colliding with his precious Ravenclaw.

James forgot about the evil books when her eyes landed on him and he felt his lips quirking up into a trancelike smile.

She looked absolutely love—

**_ BAM! _ **

"OWW!" James howled when a book slammed into the back of his head and the other books started beating him and Sirius until they fell on the floor, covering their heads with their eyes closed.

" _Immobulus_!"

Suddenly the beatings ceased, and James opened his eyes to see the books suspended in the air. He turned to his lovely, his most precious, the love of his life, Hermione Granger, who had her vine wood wand out, pointed upwards towards the books. A dreamy sigh escaped his lips. He didn’t think it was too possible for someone to look gorgeous while doing magic.

"Oh, thank you, Miss Granger!" Madame Pince called out as she huffed and panted towards them. She casted a glare towards the boys laying on the floor. "I don't know what you were planning, boys, but your Head of House will hear about this, I can assure you!"

Sirius and James slowly stood up, groaning as they felt their sore muscles and tendons from all the beatings. Those books were thick and heavy, and James knew that he would bruise tomorrow. The back of his head felt like a Bludger had repeatedly hit on it. It was pulsing in pain, alongside with his ankle.

"Bloody hell, fuck!" Sirius swore, rubbing his stinging arm.

"Language!" Hermione admonished.

James smacked the back of Sirius' head automatically. "Don't curse in front of a lady," he berated before he flashed a charming smile to Hermione, which would've been effective if his left cheek wasn't swelling purple. "Hello, Hermione. You look so beautiful today!"

Behind him, Sirius snickered.

Hermione sent him a confused look— _she was probably thinking that he was acting like a nutter,_ James thought sheepishly—before she turned to the books in the air, brandishing her wand and casting a, " _Finite Incantatum."_ She did another wave, causing the books to float and glide towards the bookshelves, filling in the gaps.

Madame Pince gave her a stink eye that could make anyone cower, even the great Albus Dumbledore. However, Hermione didn't falter and bestowed the elder witch a small smile instead. He wasn’t going to lie and say that that smile didn’t do wonders for him. Hermione’s presence alone could give him life up until next year. Now he understood why Remus was so addicted to chocolate because James was fast becoming addicted to her.

Beside him, Sirius snickered seeing the lovesick expression on James’ face.

"Don't worry, Madame Pince," Hermione reassured the witch. "They're all in their respective places. Not one is misplaced, I promise."

Madame Pince harrumphed. "We'll see, girl." She switched her glare to the boys. "Well? Are you just going to stand there or are you going to go to the Hospital Wing?"

"Thank you for your concern, Madame." Sirius gave the older witch a suggestive wink.

Madame Pince shrieked at them to leave and the two boys limped towards the exit at once. James looked over his shoulder as he went away, and the last thing he saw after they left was her sweetest smile.


	4. Hogwarts Academy II

** Chapter Four **

_** Hogwarts Academy II ** _

They hadn't noticed it at first and it took a long while for them to realize that as time passed, James' grand declarations of love for Lily had somehow dwindled. Before it was a constant—then, slowly, it was once a week, and then there was once in a month, until there was nothing in the next month and the month after that. 

Where was the bad poetry? Where were the very corny love songs? Where were the love letters, or the incessant date and marriage proposals? Where had it all gone? Not even Albus Dumbledore could answer that. There were no screaming matches, no fireworks, no explosions, and no creative hexes. Nothing. It was quite impossibly the quietest year that they had ever since the Marauders had stepped foot into the school and since James began fancying the redhead.

Lily was convinced that they were planning a big prank, that's why James hadn't put more effort into courting her. Well, if that were the case, then all they had to do was wait right? So, everyone waited for it to happen. A day passed, then a week, then nearly a month. Clearly, there was no prank going on unless you counted their usual pranks to the Slytherins—which didn't count at all. Then Lily assumed that maybe it was going to be the biggest marriage proposal to date, something that they immediately agreed and accepted.

But there was still nothing.

Some had asked Lily what happened. Why wasn't James' declaring his love for her for many months? What did she do? Did she finally break him? Lily would flush red and started yelling that she didn't care if James stopped, and that in fact, she would like it very much if it was permanent. Everyone noticed that she only shouted those answers if James was within earshot.

It was December when they finally knew the reason why James no longer sought Lily Evans.

They were having their dinner when Hermione Granger went to the Gryffindor table and stopped in front of the famous Marauders.

Several people noticed the bushy haired girl because of her blue and bronze uniform that stood out among the sea of red and gold. James was talking to Sirius when she approached them, and everyone had seen when the Potter heir clamped his mouth shut when he saw her and immediately started staring at the Ravenclaw student as though one look away would bring him bad luck.

"Hey, Remus," Hermione had said to the sandy haired boy who happened to be sitting across James. She was carrying an Ancient Runes book and handing it to him. "You forgot this in class earlier."

Remus smiled shyly at the Ravenclaw as he took the book from her slender hands. "Thanks, Hermione."

A conversation about Ancient Runes soon followed. James was silent throughout the whole exchange, still staring at Hermione. By that time, most of the people in the Great Hall had noticed this peculiar occurrence. James was usually a loud character; not necessarily friendly, but just loud enough to come across as attention-seeking sometimes. He should've been jumping to introduce himself to the brown haired Ravenclaw, but he was uncharacteristically silent.

"What happened to him?" Frank Longbottom asked Sirius.

Sirius snorted. "What do you think?"

They had all pieced it all together by that time and none was more shocked than Lily who was beginning to look red in the face as she watched James’ expression and actions. Sirius had smirked at her expression.

Hermione smiled and waved goodbye, having already finished the conversation. She was about to leave when she caught James' eye. Surprised by the sudden eye contact, James abruptly stood up, his knee hitting below table as a result. She jumped at the loud bang and clatter while James did everything in his power not to howl in pain. His knee was going to bruise later.

“Are you alright?” Hermione asked, peering worriedly at him.

James grimaced. “Yes,” he squeaked, giving her a thumbs up. “Pretty perfect, actually.”

She blinked her eyes before nodding slowly as though she didn’t quite believe what he was saying. James continued giving her a pained smile and her face softened. She waved tentatively goodbye at him before walking back to the Ravenclaw table.

She never saw the wide, blinding smile that James sported after that but everyone else sure did.

James sat back down and grabbed Sirius on his robes. “Did you see that?” He asked, hazel eyes gleaming with excitement while his voice was full of wonder, forgetting the pain on his knee in favor of the phenomenon. “I didn’t just imagine that, did I? Did she really just talk to me?”

Remus chuckled. Sirius patted him on the back. Peter continued eating his kidney pie.

Frank looked astonished. "You like Hermione?" He asked the leader of the Marauders.

James still had his wide smile on, not hearing Frank's question. "She _talked_ to me." He looked positively giddy.

The mystery was solved.

_ Poor Lily, _ they all had thought that night.


	5. Remus Lupin

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Five **

_** Remus Lupin ** _

"I'm really glad that you're doing this, Prongs," Remus told him, smiling lightly, a bit amused at seeing his friend bent over a parchment. "I can't believe that the great James Potter is actively doing his homework without me trying to force him or anything. I'm proud of you."

James blushed as he continued his chicken scratch on the parchment. "Shut up, mate." He paused and looked up. "Do you really think that Hermione will notice me if I start doing this?"

Remus nodded as he opened a Sixth-Year charms book. "Of course. Hermione values her studies a lot. If she sees you studying or doing your homework, she'll be interested especially considering that you usually don't do it until the last minute."

"And you know this, how?" James narrowed his eyes on him, his fingers flexing around his quill.

Remus chuckled, knowing exactly what his friend was thinking as it was clearly written across his face. James was jealous but was actively trying not to (though he didn’t do a decent job at it).

"Don't worry, I don't fancy your girl," he assured him. "She's a Ravenclaw, Prongs. It's obvious that she values studying."

James pouted a bit. "Then, why was she talking to you the other week?"

Remus was confused. "When? I don't remember."

"When she gave you your Ancient Runes book." James still sounded like a petulant child.

Remus finally remembered. "Oh." He chuckled. "The both of us are classmates in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. We talk from time to time but only to discuss about subjects, James. Don't make a big deal about it."

Godric. James was a possessive prat sometimes even more than Remus and he was the werewolf between the two of them.

"You better be right," James grumbled as turned his attention back to the parchment.

Remus smiled behind his book. They all knew how much their leader would do anything and give everything just to get Hermione's (positive) attention. He'd probably grovel if he and Sirius hadn't stopped him.

_ "Just a smile," _ James had said to them one day while watching her walk past. _"I just want to see her beautiful smile aimed at me."_

Needless to say, it was a big contrast to how James would handle his affections to Lily Evans.

Sirius thought that it was about time that he finally got over the 'redheaded uptight nightmare.' The Black heir never really liked Lily out of loyalty for James and because he thought that she was a suck up. On the other hand, Peter thought it was weird that James wasn’t courting Hermione the same way as he courted Lily before; as a result, Peter thought that James’ interest on Hermione wasn’t quite as strong as when he had loved Lily.

Remus thought though that it was wonderful to see him like this. It proved how much James had matured and Hermione was the push he needed to act like it. He wasn’t really a huge fan of James’ ostentatious displays, so it was a breath of fresh air to see him courting someone else in a different way. For the first time, James did something that wasn't related to Quidditch or pranking Slytherins. Albeit it was because of a girl, at least he wasn't spouting off ridiculous poetry and ballads anymore.

_ Hermione is good for him, _ Remus concluded as he watched his friend drafting his essay with a passion that he normally reserved for a Quidditch game (and usually if it was against the Slytherin house).

"Hey, Moony?" James called out, looking up from his parchment. "Where can I get more information about the Polyjuice Potion?"

Remus smiled and handed him a Potions book within reach.

The next week, after they had submitted their 2 feet essays, and the professors had finished grading them, Professor McGonagall approached the leader of the Marauders in her class with a rolled parchment in her hands.

James sat straight, probably bracing himself for another stern scolding. However, they were all shocked when the severe looking professor gave him a small smile as she handed him his essay.

"The best one to date," she said when he accepted his graded essay. "Keep up the good work, Mister Potter."

Professor McGonagall glanced at her niece and shot James a knowing look before she resumed handing out essays to the other students. James blushed profusely as his hazel eyes flickered towards Hermione who was talking with her aunt about her own essay, not noticing the longing looks James was sending to her way.

"What did you get?" Sirius asked, leaning over James’ shoulder since he was sitting behind him. The others followed suit.

When James unrolled his parchment, they all saw an O on the top of the essay. It was his very first that year.

"Ohhh! Congratulations, Prongs!" Sirius exclaimed as he mussed his best friend's hair.

"Not the hair!" James squawked.

Remus couldn't help but smile again. He looked at Hermione, surprised to see that she was watching them. She had a small grin across her lips, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she watched Sirius and James goofing off.

Watching her, Remus suddenly understood why James was so smitten with her.


	6. Chapter 6

** Chapter Six **

_** Hogwarts Academy III ** _

Everyone was dumbfounded. They didn’t understand why James fancied Hermione Granger. They didn’t understand how he had completely forgotten about Lily Evans after. It was as though he hadn't claimed that he was in love with Lily for four years straight, starting from Second Year to their Fifth, and early Sixth Year. 

It was near Christmas break when another bet circled around the whole castle, led by none other than the infamous Seventh Year Prewett twins, Gideon and Fabian. To put it simply, the bet was about when James would finally stop fancying the brunette of the house Ravenclaw. It could either be a date or a scenario that would end his ridiculous infatuation for the bookworm. The bet was made simply because most people didn’t believe James’ interest on Hermione. They couldn't see why James would ever want to replace the beautiful redhead with bright green eyes with a frizzy haired bookworm with plain muddy eyes. It didn’t make any sense.

"Mine is when Lily starts pursuing him," one Fifth Year Hufflepuff had said with three Galleons in her hands. "It's obvious he's just doing it for attention."

"When we come back after the break," one Seventh Year Ravenclaw had said with five Galleons. "Hopefully, by that time, he would finally stop the charade, don't you think?"

"Obviously, it's when Lily would confess her feelings for him," one Sixth Year Gryffindor had scoffed and handed the twins ten Galleons. "He's just making Lily jealous by liking another girl. It's so obvious."

The Marauders heard about the bet the next day and they hadn't wasted a time to confront the twins about it in the Gryffindor common room. The people watched as James stomped towards the Seventh-Year twins with his hands clenched and a murderous expression on his face. The rest of the Marauders followed closely behind their leader, lending him their silent support.

The twins saw James and grew alarmed when he stopped in front of them.

"I heard about the bet," James spat vehemently. "I know that you two had started it."

Gideon and Fabian exchanged looks of unease. They knew better than to mess with Potter who technically ruled Hogwarts with his mates. Besides, they didn’t want a Black—a house notorious for its specialty in Dark Arts—coming after them. 

"Err, you see, mate—" Gideon started but he shut his mouth when James raised his palm up.

"I don't want to hear excuses," James seethed.

"It's just for fun—" Fabian tried to explain but was silenced when James shot him a dark look.

James scoffed and took out a bag of Galleons from his pocket. Their eyes widened, thinking about how many Galleons the bag must have. James smirked when he saw their flabbergasted expression when he threw the bag to Gideon.

"I want to place a bet," he began darkly.

Another exchange looks of unease. The spectators watched on, perplexed about James' intentions.

"Err, okay." Gideon pulled out a fifteen-foot parchment and a quill that hovered hesitantly over the paper.

"Err, so, uhm, tell us the date when," Fabian squirmed slightly, "you'd stop, err, fancying Granger."

James leaned his head closer and looked at them straight in the eyes.

He only said one word.

"Never."


	7. Alice Greengrass

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Seven **

_** Alice Greengrass ** _

"So, what do you think of him?" Alice Greengrass asked innocently to Hermione who was eating breakfast beside her while reading a book at the same time.

Alice shook her head to herself. Hermione was the most Ravenclaw of the Ravenclaws here at Hogwarts. No one could simply match her vigor when it came to studying and reading books.

Hermione paused; eyebrows raised in surprise. "Who?"

Alice giggled as she brushed her dirty blonde hair back. "James Potter."

Hermione was bewildered. "The one in Gryffindor?"

"Who else?" Alice retorted. "What do you think of him?"

Hermione put her spoon and book down as she contemplated her friend's question. "He's okay, I guess," she finally answered.

Alice gaped, not expecting the answer. "Just okay?" She didn’t know whether to laugh or not. James was never described as ‘okay’ to a lot of girls in Hogwarts. He was either a prince or a prick. There was no in between.

Hermione smiled bemusedly at her dumbfounded expression. "Well, what do you want me to say?"

Alice was about to respond something along the lines of ‘James is totally in love with you and you think he’s just okay?’, but she caught herself and shook her head instead. “No, nothing,” she sang innocently. “Just wondering. He's cute, right?”

"I thought you were dating Frank?" Hermione asked, looking puzzled.

"I just said that I think that he’s cute!" Alice pouted. "I didn't say anything about dating James. After all," she winked suggestively at her, "he's proudly taken."

"Oh." Hermione nodded in understanding. "So, the redhead finally accepted his invitations to date him, then?"

"What?" Alice sputtered. "No!"

"But I thought you said that he's taken." The confused look that Hermione was wearing would've been cute if Alice wasn't so vexed.

Alice groaned quietly to herself. Hermione was probably the smartest Ravenclaw that she had ever met before but the brunette was utterly hopeless when it came to romance and love.

Alice had been trying to clue her in that James Potter liked her and that was a pretty big deal considering that he only liked one girl throughout the years. However, no matter how many times she mentioned him or any other boys, Hermione would never act like a normal girl and share her non-platonic thoughts about them. In fact, she never talked about boys, and this was the girl who was friends with Regulus Black, one of the most gorgeous men to ever step foot in Hogwarts.

She knew that Hermione wasn’t anything close to asexual (Alex made sure to ask before); she was simply uninterested. Alice was beginning to think that she came from an entirely different world whilst Hermione was suspecting that Alice was getting tired of Frank and was trying to find some other boy to date.

Alice snorted mentally. As if that would ever happen.

"Nevermind," Alice grumbled to her.

Hermione looked at her as though she was the crazy one before turning her attention back to her book and breakfast. Typical Hermione mood.

Alice sighed. She was worse than Lily Evans. At least the redhead knew about James' romantic intentions towards her even if she rejected him on a daily basis.

Poor James. He was going to work extra hard for this one.


	8. Sirius Black

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Eight **

_** Sirius Black ** _

"I don't know what to do."

Sirius' steps faltered into a halt when he heard a familiar voice. He looked around the dark and empty hallway, wondering where the voice had come from. It was nearing curfew and he was just heading towards the Gryffindor dorm after having a lovely stroll with a pretty Hufflepuff Fifth Year that ended up with a snog in a broom cupboard somewhere. He didn't think that there were others out when Filch and Mrs. Norris were terrorizing the corridors at night.

Sirius shrugged. It must've been his imagination.

"You do know what to do."

His eyebrows knitted. That one was extremely familiar, especially since he had heard it in his Charms, Potions and Transfiguration class all the time because this person always answered the questions that the professors asked them. Plus, James had a lot of poetic nonsense to say about the voice.

It was Hermione Granger.

He immediately searched where her voice had come from, knowing that Hermione had just responded to someone whose voice was lower than hers. It was clearly a boy that she was talking to.

James would be pissed when he learned out about this.

Sirius made his steps light and careful as he looked around. He peeked behind a wall and saw something on the other side that made him pause.

It was Hermione Granger with his younger brother, Regulus Black.

He felt more confused than ever. What were they doing out together in this night? All alone?

They weren't doing anything malicious. Their bodies weren't touching and they weren't close. They were just standing in front of each other in the middle of the corridor, unafraid that they could be caught. Still though, they were alone and a lot of things could happen between a girl and boy when they were alone. Sirius could attest to that.

Sirius narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He wondered if this was a first-time occurrence or if it happened before.

"I know you're scared," Hermione continued, unaware of the watchful eyes trained upon them. "I'd probably be too if I were you. But you're a brave boy, Regulus. One of the bravest that I've ever met. I'm sure that he will accept you."

"What if he doesn't?" Sirius felt something stir in his chest when he heard Regulus' broken voice. "What if he doesn't listen to me? What if he still doesn't accept me? I'm afraid that he will turn me away just like what he had done years ago because I got sorted into Slytherin."

"Stop saying things like that. He will not do that." Hermione's voice was firm and full of conviction. "Sirius is not going to turn away his little brother like that."

Sirius startled. They were speaking about him.

"He did it before," Regulus muttered bitterly. "Who’s to say that he won't be doing it again? I knew that he was ashamed when I got into Slytherin. I thought that it was okay, you know? He was my brother, my _blood_. I never expected that he'd deny me in front of his friends, that he'd choose his friends over me."

"Sirius was a child back then," Hermione told him. "He did that because he didn't know what he was doing. He didn't think about the consequences of his actions. I'm sure Sirius misses you, Regulus. You're his little brother and not even house rivalry can erase that. Not even your parents can split you apart."

"I miss him," Regulus confessed, brushing his black hair back, looking so different from the composed and indifferent boy that Sirius portrayed him as. "I have never felt so alone when he stopped talking to me. Then, there's this thing about our parents and it got all so complicated. I just want it to end, you know? I just want my brother back."

"Oh, Regulus."

Sirius turned away and leaned his back against the wall, his throat bopping with emotion. He never knew that his actions affected his brother so much. Regulus had always been calm and cold whenever they encountered each other. It was hard to tell what he really was thinking.

All this time, Regulus missed him just as much as Sirius did.

"Just talk to him," Hermione added. "Tell him everything and leave nothing out. He will not leave you. He will not abandon you. He will help you. Have faith, Regulus."

There was long silence then a sigh.

"Okay, Hermione."

Sirius left with determined steps.

It took weeks before Regulus heeded Hermione's advice and approached him. His normally calm and collected brother was fidgeting with nerves when he stopped him in the corridor. His younger brother couldn't make any eye contact and Sirius felt a pang in his chest.

"Er, Sirius? Can I talk to you in private?"

Sirius didn't answer and instead, pulled his little brother in a tight embrace. He felt him going rigid in his arms and he hugged him tighter. It took a beat before Regulus found the courage to embrace him back.

"I miss you, little brother," Sirius murmured to his ear.

Regulus cried.

That Christmas break, Regulus joined Sirius to the Potter manor to celebrate Christmas together.

Sirius sent a thank you card to Hermione with a box of chocolate frogs. He could just imagine her smile that his best friend was crazy about.

Now that he thought about it, Hermione is rather pretty when she smiled.


	9. Regulus Black

** Chapter Nine ** ** **

_** Regulus Black ** _

"Mother wants me to take the Dark Mark." Regulus couldn't find it in him to meet Sirius' gaze as he told him the truth that had plagued him for a long time since he heard it.

Regulus heard his sharp intake of breath. "What did you say?" Sirius questioned slowly as though he was afraid of his answer.

"I didn't," Regulus replied, sounding lost. "I didn't give her an answer. I told her I'd think about it, and... and Mother was so mad, Sirius." He released a shuddered breath as he rubbed his palms on his face. "I don't want to take the Dark Mark. Believe me, I don't."

"I believe you," Sirius said, grasping his shoulder and squeezing tight. "I believe you, Reggie. I'm here for you. Don't worry. I'll never leave you again."

Regulus nodded, not doubting him for a second.

"Padfoot!"

Their comfortable solitude was broken when James stormed into the room, waving a folded parchment in his hands. The messy haired Gryffindor paused when he saw Regulus and his joyful expression immediately darkened.

"What's that Slytherin scum doing here?"

Regulus looked down and crossed his arms, his hands clenching into fists. This was the boy who stole Sirius from him. Not only that but there were rumors that he fancied Hermione as well, his friend. As shocking as it was to believe, he really did consider Hermione his friend, and he couldn't understand how she captured the attention of the leader of the Marauders.

She might be his friend but he wasn't blind to the fact that she was plainer compared to other girls. Compared to Lily, she looked like a servant — and he's saying that because he was her friend. Regulus had no doubts that James was taking interest in her to get Lily's attention. Regulus vowed that if he ever hurt Hermione, the last heir of the Potter line would answer to him.

"Prongs, cut that out," Sirius chided his friend. "Regulus and I have made amends already. He's not a scum anymore."

"Oh, really?" James sounded curious. "Oh, okay!"

Regulus looked up, surprised that James would easily accept him. He expected that he would put up a big fight against it, especially since he was a Slytherin after all.

Sirius was grinning up to his best friend. "So, what do you need, you prat?"

James stuffed the folded parchment in his back pocket. "I need your help with something, Padfoot."

"What's it about?"

Even in dim light, Regulus could see the way James' hazel eyes sparkled. "It's about the love of my life, my bride to my wedding, my future wife, the mother of my children—"

_ Lily? _

"—Hermione!"

Regulus' eyebrows rose. So, he _was_ that serious to Hermione. Huh. He hadn't been expecting that.

Sirius rolled his eyes and shot Regulus a knowing look before turning to James. "What about her?"

"She doesn't believe that I have feelings for her!" James pouted. "She thinks that it's a joke!"

Regulus couldn't stop his snicker. "Typical Hermione," he said to himself.

James instantaneously turned his attention to him. "You know Hermione?"

Regulus shifted in his seat. The way he looked at him was unnerving. "Yes, I do. She's my friend."

Suddenly, James was sitting beside him, completely invading his personal space. Regulus shot an alarmed look at his brother and Sirius, the prat, only laughed at the obvious discomfort on his face. James must've not noticed his unease or he ignored it as he regarded him.

"Tell me," James demanded like a three-year-old child. "Does she talk about me often?"

Regulus couldn’t help but to snort. “Hermione doesn't have any reason to talk about you,” he replied coolly.

James looked affronted. "I have quite a long list of good qualities why she should!"

Regulus merely raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that she'd care about that? Unless you freed house elves, you're invisible in her world."

"How do you know that?" Sirius questioned as he side-eyed him.

Regulus didn't respond and just shrugged. He didn't want to tell them that that was how he had gotten to know Hermione. On his way to the library, he had stumbled upon her one night carrying a sack of knitted hats and scarves. When he had questioned her, she made a rather lengthy and passionate speech about house elves and freedom and equality.

At the end of the night, Regulus found himself befriending and trusting the Ravenclaw witch. So far, he wasn't regretting it.

"She wants to free house elves?" James perked up. "I'll help her! And you're going to help us, Padfoot."

Sirius scowled. "Bloody hell no."

James wasn't deterred as he turned his attention to the younger Black. "So, what does she think about me? Does she see me as a potential husband for her?"

Regulus eyed him incredulously. "James, Hermione is completely oblivious about your feelings for her. In fact, she doesn't seem to realise that someone fancies her at all. Any thoughts about romance doesn't exist in her world."

James looked as though Headmaster Dumbledore just waltzed into the room naked. His face was so white and he looked horrified. Regulus worried for a second if James needed a Blood Replenishing potion.

"Oh no! How do I fix that? We can't get married if she doesn't know that I have feelings for her!"

"Doesn't she need to have feelings for you as well?" Sirius snarked.

James appeared to not have heard him. "What will I do, Regulus?"

The only Slytherin in the room squirmed. "Maybe let her know that you have feelings for her in the most obvious way." He snorted. "Because other than slapping it to her face, it'll be completely disregarded and be thought as an act of kindness. Or worse, she'd think that you're only friends. That's how clueless she is."

James looked contemplative and then his face brightened. "Reggie! You're a genius! I could kiss you right now!"

Regulus recoiled in horror. "Please don't!"

James ignored him and turned to Sirius. "I have a plan. Let's meet up in the dorm room later! Bring your brother. See you later!"

He immediately left after. Regulus blinked in shock.

"What just happened?"

Sirius chuckled. "That is James' way of declaring that you're his new best friend."

Regulus looked horrified of that thought.

"What have I just done?"

Sirius laughed. "Careful, baby brother. You might find yourself having Christmas in the Potter manor."

Regulus glared at him. "As if that would happen."

The next week, he really did spend Christmas in the Potter manor.

He ignored Sirius' smug smile the whole time.


	10. Hogwarts Academy IV

** Chapter Ten **

_** Hogwarts Academy IV ** _

Everyone knew that James was undeniably, completely, madly, truly, irrevocably, in all honesty, head-over-boots in love with Hermione Granger... aside from her.

To everyone's amusement, Hermione was oblivious of James Potter's affections for her. For someone who was smart and clever, she didn't pick up that someone was interested in her. She didn't seem to realize that James was crazy about her and if someone mentioned it, they would get an odd look.

"The Gryffindor?" She would ask for clarification. "I thought that he fancies the redhead."

They would say no and tell her that he fancied her. In fact, James was in love with her.

"What?" That'd be when she'd shake her head in disbelief. "You're crazy. He is not in love with me. He probably doesn't know that I exist."

They would only shake their head at her apparent cluelessness.

Oh, she existed in James' world alright.

As his wife.

They couldn't imagine what her reaction would be like if she found out about that.

When James heard about this, he went all out to let Hermione know that he was, indeed, in love with her, no joke. He told everyone that he knew about his plans and they all had spread the news throughout the other houses. The whole school was on board — yes, even a few Slytherins — to show to Hermione that the rumors were true and James did harbor intense feelings for her.

It took three days for the preparations to be complete and once it was done, Hermione didn't know what would hit her.

Phase one of the plan started the next week.

Hermione just woke up when Alice tumbled out of the bathroom, fully clothed in her bronze and blue uniform.

"Good morning, Alice," Hermione greeted with a yawn at the end.

"James said good morning."

Hermione froze and looked at her weirdly. "What did you say?"

Alice hid a smile as she brushed her hair. "James Potter said good morning."

Hermione only blinked before shrugging it off as a mistake. She prepared for the day and quickly left their room, oblivious of Alice's smile behind her.

When she came out of her dorm room, a couple of people in the Ravenclaw common room greeted her with a, "James said you look beautiful today."

Hermione froze once again and looked perplexed. "Who?"

One Ravenclaw grinned. "James Potter, of course!"

Hermione blinked, obviously still confused. "Err, alright," she said uneasily, ignoring the giggles behind her when she stepped out of the common room.

She was heading towards the Great Hall when she met a group of Hufflepuffs along the way.

"James said your smile fills him with warmth all the time," was their greeting this time.

Hermione's eyebrows rose in shock but she continued walking. When she reached the Great Hall, she sighed in relief when no one greeted her and made her way towards her usual spot in the Ravenclaw table. She was eating when a beautiful barn owl landed in front of her with a rolled parchment tied around its leg.

"What a beauty," she breathed out as she petted the owl's head and took the parchment. The owl flew away after its purpose was done.

Hermione unrolled the small piece of parchment and her jaw dropped when she read what was written.

_ 'James said that your eyes are the prettiest he has ever seen.' _

She looked around the Great Hall, trying to find the messy haired Gryffindor and demand what was going on. To her dismay, he was nowhere to be found.

She only shook her head and finished her breakfast before heading to the library in hurried steps. She hadn't encountered anyone on the way and she breathed out a sigh of relief. When she got inside, Madame Pince looked up from her paperwork and pursed her lips when she saw her.

"Good morning, Madame Pince," Hermione said, flashing her a smile. She was probably the only student who would dare do such a thing.

"Mister Potter said hi," was her sour reply.

"Ehh?" Hermione let out a nervous and confused laugh before going to her table.

All throughout the day, random people would greet her about something that James had said to them to tell her and Hermione would be left flustered and confused. Even a couple of professors had joined them in the madness.

Professor McGonagall handed Hermione her essay and proceeded to the next student. Hermione unrolled her parchment and saw an O. She beamed and then scanned over her essay to see what comment the professor had written. She was dumbfounded when she only saw one and it read:

_ 'Mister Potter said that you should smile more often. He said it's the most wonderful image in the world.' _

Hermione's face went red for the rest of the class and she avoided looking at James' direction after that.

In Potions class, Professor Slughorn was introducing a new potion, the most powerful love potion in the world, called Amortentia. In the middle of his lecture, Professor Slughorn paused and looked at Hermione with a twinkle in his eye that awfully resembled Headmaster Dumbledore's.

"Mister Potter told me that he doesn’t need an Amortentia to know he’s in love, Miss Granger." He winked right after.

The whole class laughed when Hermione made a squeak sound at the back of her throat.

The worst of all, in Hermione's opinion, was at dinner time. The Great Hall was, as usual, filled to the brim and every student was present. Hermione was enjoying her shepherd's pie when Headmaster suddenly stood up for an announcement. The chatter immediately lessened into silence as they turned their attention to him.

"I have an announcement to make," Headmaster Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling more than usual. "But before I proceed to the announcement, I have a few words to say first." His eyes scanned the crowd before it rested on Hermione; his blue eyes twinkled even more.

Hermione straightened in her seat, wondering what he was about to say.

"Miss Granger," he began, "Mister Potter told me that you shine more than the stars this evening. You look absolutely lovely."

Hermione was completely mortified and had spent the rest of the night with her head down.

It was probably the most confusing day that Hermione had in Hogwarts.


	11. The Marauders

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Eleven **

_** The Marauders ** _

Phase two of the plan began after a week of random greetings and unnecessary call outs that always left Hermione's cheeks rosy. This time, it was actual courting from James Potter himself.

It started small, though. A note here and there, telling her how wonderful she was and all the things that made the others call James a pansy. The next were flowers of any variety that were charmed to follow her around the school until she accepted them. Then there were the chocolates that would appear in her table every dinner that would shape itself into a miniature James that would blow kisses at her before it would reshape again and it would form a heart shape.

Not only was he considered a romantic sod by the guys who thought that James was making them look bad, but the professors were clearly impressed by his magical prowess and creativity. The girls had taken to teasing Hermione every chance they got. The poor brunette was red all throughout the week because of it. Although there was one problem: James was keeping his distance from Hermione.

A number of people started asking James why he wouldn't just approach Hermione and talk to her. They told him that it was easier to just say that he liked her than to do these things. She was completely harmless, they said.

"Oh, I know," James would say to them, bouncing on the heels of his feet. "I talk to Hermione from time to time."

They all knew that the words he could only say to her was a hi, then followed by a lot of compliments that he tended to babble whenever he was excited or nervous. James was convinced that he should do it in that way, with little cute notes and flowers and chocolates and everything, and so they left him be.

It wasn't until the Marauders asked him that he finally answered the truth.

"I'm scared," James told them, his voice low. "What if she doesn't like me? What if she thinks that I'm a prat? Lily has no problem rejecting me but it had never stopped me, you know? But Hermione? She's just so amazing, and she doesn't even know how wonderful she is. I'm downright terrified if she rejects me."

The Marauders stared at James who couldn't meet their prying eyes. That's when they realized the extent of James' feelings for Hermione. If they thought that James' love for Lily was an obsession that he couldn't get rid of, James' love for Hermione was like a priceless treasure that he was afraid that he'd break.

Unlike Lily, who he'd always been loud and reckless with, his feelings for Hermione were quiet and patient. James didn't need to vocalize his feelings for her because it was there. One look and they knew that James' feelings for Hermione was one that could last until the end of time. Maybe even more than that.

"Hermione won't do that, Prongs," Remus consoled his friend. "She won't think that you're a prat."

"How do you know that?" James' voice was oddly vulnerable.

Remus smiled slightly. "Because aside from the fact that they're two completely different witches, she's not like Lily. Trust me. She will not turn you away. Be direct, and be honest. Tell her how you really feel and she will know."

"Yeah, mate," Sirius agreed. "Hermione's a good bird. I mean if Reggie can trust her, why not, right? After all, she has the Sirius Black approval and birds with my approval are incredible." He winked.

Everyone turned to Peter when he hadn't offered any form of consolidation. The chubby man with watery blue eyes shifted on his feet.

"Aren't you ever going to say something, Wormy?" Sirius gave him a pointed look.

"Err, what more can I say?" Peter flushed. "You already said enough, and it's not as if I know. I don't exactly have a girlfriend at the moment."

Sirius thought about it for a moment. "Hmm, good point."

James flashed his friends a brilliant grin.


	12. Alice Greengrass II

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Twelve **

_** Alice Greengrass II ** _

The girls ohh'ed and ahh'ed at the bouquet of flowers that Hermione placed on her bedside table. A few other girls, with Alice in the lead, were reading the notes that James had wrote for her out loud. The only girl who hadn't joined in their fun was the girl who received the gifts herself.

" _There's something about you that I can't get out of my head. Maybe it's because of your pretty smile or your amazing laugh. Or maybe it's your kindness to others or your dedication and passion for learning. I can list a lot of other things but then I'd run out of ink and parchment._ " Alice giggled with the girls. "Who knew that Potter can be such a sap?"

"Here's another one!" One of the girls squealed and handed another note to her.

Alice cleared her throat. " _Your voice is a music that is on repeat in my mind. It could play all day and I still would never get tired of it or find it annoying._ " Alice looked at the girls that surrounded her with a teasing grin on her face. "Ugh. That was just adorable!"

They all turned to Hermione who was busy writing something in her journal.

"Don't you think it's adorable, Hermione?" Alice called out to her.

"Hmm?" She hummed absently.

Alice rolled her eyes as she broke away from the girls and went to her friend. "The note," she clarified as she sat on the foot of her bed. "It was so sweet." She sighed dreamily. “It reminds me of Frank's notes for me back when he was courting me.”

Hermione looked up from her journal, smiling at her friend. "It's nice of James to tell me that."

"Nice?" One of the girls in the room exclaimed, looking shocked by her choice of words. "Just nice?"

Hermione shrugged. "Yes. He's a good friend."

"Friend?" Alice gawked at her. "Hermione, if James wanted to befriend you, he could just walk up to you, introduce himself and shake your hand! He shouldn't have done all of this trouble just to be your friend." She waved the note. "This isn't an act of friendship, dear."

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Well, why is he doing that then?"

"Hermione, James likes you," Alice said, looking at her earnestly. "This is his way of telling you that he wants you like—like how a man wants a woman."

Hermione blinked. "Are you trying to give me the birds and the bees talk?"

"Hermione!" Alice groaned exasperatedly. "James likes you romantically! This is not a gesture of friendship. All the flowers and chocolates haven't clued you in? He's trying to court you!"

Hermione's cheeks reddened slightly. "But he doesn't know me."

Alice prayed silently to someone out there to give her patience because Hermione was sure testing it.

"He's doing this because he's trying to get to know you and he wants to get to know you because he likes you in a romantic sense," Alice explained carefully. "Do you understand?"

Hermione's blush seemed to escalate to her neck. She looked away and fixed her eyes on her journal, her slender hands reaching up to tug a familiar gold chain around her neck. "Why can't he just tell me directly that he likes me?"

Alice groaned quietly to herself, knowing that if he'd do that, Hermione would still not understand and would probably think that James was talking to the wrong girl.

"Maybe he just wants you to see how serious his feelings are for you," Alice answered.

Hermione tilted her head to the side. "Why? Is he afraid that I'll accuse him of lying?"

Alice shrugged. Hermione didn't witness the entire chase that James had gone through with Lily. Despite that they were never together, that kind of history just didn't go away just because Hermione got into the picture. James spent too many years chasing after Lily and everything he did just to get her to say yes to him had been Hogwarts talk for years.

Honestly, Alice was glad that his plans of courtship for Hermione were different albeit very romantic. Even more romantic than the marriage proposal that James made to appear on the sky in the Great Hall for Lily. This was tamer compared to his past actions and Alice appreciated it because anything flashier would probably send Hermione a heart attack since she was so clueless about this stuff.

Hopefully, Alice made James' situation a little better because if she hadn't, Merlin knew that it would take a million years for Hermione to know about his feelings for her.

Later that same night, just as Alice was about to blow her candle, she paused when she realized that Hermione was still writing in her journal.

"Aren't you going to go to bed yet?" Her sleepiness was emphasized by her yawn at the end of the sentence.

Hermione lifted her gaze from the book and bestowed her a gentle smile that always made Alice feel calm for some odd reason. "Not yet. Go to sleep, Alice. I'm just about done. Don't worry."

Alice yawned again. "Okay, don't stay up too late."

Hermione nodded and went back to writing. Alice got herself comfortable in bed and just as she was about to surrender to sleep, she caught movement in Hermione's side of the bed and forced herself to stay awake a minute longer.

Hermione was no longer writing. Instead, she was holding one of the flowers that James had given her and looking at it as though it was the most precious thing in the world. Her eyes were tender and it almost looked gold in the candlelight. There was a secret smile on her lips as she took the flower and cradled it to her chest as she fell down on her bed.

Alice felt her heart softening at the sight.

Maybe, just maybe, Hermione wasn't a lost cause after all.


	13. Minerva McGonagall

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Thirteen **

_** Minerva McGonagall ** _

Minerva couldn't stop staring at her no matter how much she tried. She didn't think that the younger girl had noticed it as her attention was drawn to the view outside her window but she tried to be discreet nonetheless, peering at her through the rim of her cup.

"Hogwarts is a lovely place." Minerva almost jumped when she spoke. Hermione craned her neck to look at her. "I can see why you chose to teach here."

Minerva cleared her throat and put her cup down on the table. "Hogwarts has always been a home for me. I like to think that this castle chose me rather than me choosing it."

Hermione smiled at her cup. "Father never really spoke about his years in Hogwarts."

Minerva frowned. "There is nothing good to speak about. Your father did foolish things and made wrong choices with awful consequences."

Hermione lifted her gaze to meet hers. "Was I one of those wrong choices?"

Minerva didn't know how to answer to that. She had not talked to her brother for a very long time when he had shown inclinations of joining a group of dark wizards that had been founded by her very own schoolmate and Head Boy, Tom Riddle Jr. She had tried to reason with him at first but Magnus, her brother, was adamant that he'd join Riddle. In the end, she couldn't save him and she hadn't seen him ever since.

When Minerva received a letter from him and learned about the existence of his daughter, she didn't expect someone like Hermione to show up. Magnus was arrogant and proud, completely confident of his skills and abilities. Hermione was shy and modest, but wasn't anywhere near meek and submissive. Minerva found early on that her bark was as vicious as her bite.

She could still remember her berating Albus when a house elf appeared to serve them tea the first day she arrived. The house elf had been trembling at the end of her speeches and Hermione glared at the Headmaster as though it was his fault. Minerva had been embarrassed by her behavior while Albus had taken it all into stride.

Minerva didn't know what to make of her. She sometimes wondered who the girl's mother was. She looked nothing like her younger brother. Hermione had told them that she had died after childbirth and Magnus had never spoken a word about her, even her name. The girl was brilliant though it was obvious. Magnus was brilliant too, Minerva remembered.

"Father doesn't talk about you," Hermione continued, unaware of her companion's thoughts. "He doesn't talk about a lot of things."

"Maybe it's for a good reason."

Hermione looked conflicted. "He said to me once, a long time ago, that he was trying to run away from a dark wizard."

Minerva's breath hitched.

Hermione didn't appear to notice. "I think he did something bad. I can remember him looking over his shoulder every time we go outside of the house. I never asked. He had always been secretive. I didn't even know about you until you showed up."

Minerva nodded. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't know about you until his letter arrived."

Hermione's lips twitched. "That doesn't count," she pointed out as she sipped her tea. "You and Father hadn't been talking to begin with. I lived with him for fifteen years."

A rare smile had graced Minerva's lips. "Well, it's not my fault that he had kept you hidden." She suddenly didn't want to talk about her brother. "So, how do you fare in Ravenclaw?"

Hermione would've been a great Gryffindor if she wasn't so shy all the time. Minerva could see her strong will and sense of justice but Hermione would've been overwhelmed by the lions. They were rather vivacious. Ravenclaw was tamer, a perfect fit for her, and it didn't escape her notice that it was once Magnus' house once. Maybe, Hermione knew it was his house too.

Hermione turned her attention back to the window. "Swell. Everyone has been kind and friendly although there are some who are quite competitive. Alice Greengrass has been a good friend to me."

Minerva was pleased that she was adjusting well. From what she could tell, Magnus had isolated Hermione so much that she was evidently nonexistent in the Wizarding World. The Granger family was a pureblood one but they mostly kept to themselves so they likely weren't known except for the oldest houses of purebloods. The girl hadn't interacted with anyone other than her father for fifteen years and Minerva worried what her reactions would be like surrounded by people who were her own age.

"I am glad," Minerva told her sincerely. "Hogwarts help creates friendships that last a lifetime, Hermione. Alice is a wonderful choice of a friend."

"I rather think she was the one who chose me," Hermione quipped, smirking lightly.

"And what of Mister Potter?"

Minerva could still all too clearly remember his lovesick look that was prompted by Hermione's appearance. It resembled so much how James would look at Lily that it had disconcerted Minerva at first. She was afraid that his declarations would start again and Hermione would get the brunt of it. Gladly, it never did and James seemed content to watch Hermione.

Minerva would never admit it to anyone but she did take great pleasure in participating in his schemes a week earlier. She enjoyed the look of her niece's face at the entire thing when strangers who she never spoke to had suddenly spoken to her about James. She couldn't help but be happy, thinking that it helped Hermione gain experiences that normal witches like her had went through. Hermione was not naïve but that didn't mean that she wasn't an innocent.

Her smirk was wiped off instantaneously and her cheeks burned red. "I don't understand?" She half questioned nervously.

Minerva busied herself with stirring her tea. "He seems quite smitten with you."

"Oh."

Oh, Merlin. Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned it.

"Don't get me wrong, my dear," Minerva told her gently. "I am simply curious about your development with him."

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "I think you already know, Aunt Minerva. After all, you were the one who wrote in my parchment about something that James had said the first day it all started."

Minerva felt her neck heating but she looked away, maintaining a persona of indifference. The little smile that was playing on Hermione's lips told her that she wasn't as successful as she thought.

"Well, it's hard not to ignore the boy's wishes when he was practically begging on his knees."

Hermione's eyes widened and she almost spat her tea if she wasn't so quick in catching herself and swallowing the drink. "What?" She blurt out in disbelief. "He begged you to write those?"

Minerva laughed. "Oh, he did, complete with poetry and all. It was quite amusing to watch."

Hermione stared at her cup. "I'm confused, Aunt Minerva. I don't know what to do with... this. Alice has been helpful and patient with all my questions but I know that her patience is wearing thin. No books can prepare me for this sort of reality. It's all so new to me and I find that I am a bit lost on what to do."

Minerva's heart reached out for the young witch before her. Hermione, for all her brilliance, was not a normal girl. She had missed a lot of things that people her age engaged in and she strived so hard to understand and know, to catch up, and try to fit in with the crowd. She was thrusted into this new world without an idea how the complexities and complications of the real world worked, and she had to learn as she went along with the ride. She was wholly unprepared and Minerva could see how it frustrated her sometimes, not knowing, and her bleeding heart just wanted to help her.

"Okay, Hermione," Minerva said in a rare soft tone. "I know it's different from what you are used to. As you go along the journey, you will realize that it will be difficult and you might find that you're fighting a battle with yourself or with the rest of the world. There are some things that can make your journey less hard and you will be happier, but do not mistake that the complications will stop. Life is a long battle of hardships that will either drown you or make you fly. Friends, families and loved ones make you want to survive, to overcome the hardships, but sometimes, rare times, it is not enough."

"James Potter is a great boy, Hermione," Minerva continued. "He has a long list of good qualities in him but, of course, there are also the bad. You're brilliant, but this is a completely uncharted territory. Before you accept any of his proposals, think carefully, Hermione. Think it through. Don't say yes just because you're feeling pressured by your peers or because you want to repay him for his kindness and you don't want to hurt him. Relationships happen because the two have mutual attraction or love for each other. Remember, not one or three or four or five, but two."

"You will have to make sacrifices in order to keep the other happy and the same goes for him. Some people change in the name of love and sometimes it's for the worse. They lose themselves into that feeling to the point that they become different and awful people." Minerva gave her a hard stare. "I don't want that to happen to you, Hermione. That's why, if you want to establish a romantic relationship with Mister Potter, I want you to be sure of it. I want you to want it as much as he does. No doubts, no second thoughts. Most importantly, trust your instincts. Trust me, it'll help you get through with it. Because if you pursue him for different reasons other than wanting him or loving him, you will regret it in the end and you will hurt a lot of innocent people, including yourself."

"I don't want that to happen," Hermione confessed quietly. "I don't want to hurt people."

"You will hurt them, Hermione. It is inevitable. It comes with letting people into your walls and caring and loving them. As long as you're sincerely sorry for what you've done and you will not do the same mistake again, they will find it within their hearts to forgive you. In the end, only time will tell if your relationships, whether platonic or romantic, will survive."

They were silent for a moment.

"James' feelings are genuine, aren't they?" Hermione suddenly said.

"Yes, indeed. I have only seen him act like that to a girl only twice in all of his stay in Hogwarts. You, and Miss Evans." Minerva scrutinized her. "He pursued Miss Evans for four years with recklessness and without fear. Even when she was rejecting him, he didn't stop. He persisted for a long time. Frankly, most of us were just waiting for Miss Evans to give in. However, Mister Potter surprised us all by falling in love with you and forgetting about Miss Evans. His actions towards you and his actions towards Miss Evans are very different and distinct."

"How?" Hermione's eyes sparked with curiosity.

Minerva sipped her tea. "Well, his actions toward you are almost patient. He's cautious this time and he's mostly content in watching you like an absolute creep." Minerva paused and smiled when Hermione laughed before she continued. "It's funny because it seems better somehow. His love for you is greater than what he felt for Miss Evans, that is for certain. It makes us, professors, proud of how mature and considerate Mister Potter had approached you."

"But the things that he did—" Hermione said but Minerva cut her off.

"Oh, that was tamer, my dear," she told her. "If you have witnessed his antics throughout the years, you will know. He did those things to and for Miss Evans because he wanted a reaction and he wanted her to give in. To you, it's different. He did all of that to show you what he felt and to convince you that his feelings for you are true. He told us so himself that he doesn't expect for you to come to him for a romantic relationship after that. He just wanted you to know the truth."

Minerva should know. She and the rest of the professors were thorough in their interrogation with him. Hermione had become significant in their lives and they didn't want her to get hurt just because Potter thought he was in love with her, only to leave her as soon as Miss Evans showed signs that she was interested in him.

"So, he did all those things, the greetings and little messages, in order to prove to me that he has feelings for me? Not because he expects me to like him in return?" Hermione sounded incredulous.

Minerva smiled. "Precisely."

She made a sound of disbelief. "I don't understand, Aunt Minerva. He didn't gain anything from the things he did and you're telling me now that he's content with he's current situation, knowing that I am aware of his feelings. Frankly, Aunt Minerva, that doesn't make any sense. It sounds ridiculous."

It did.

"I think that some part of him, whether he's aware or not, is telling him to be careful otherwise you run away from him. It is no secret that you lack the experiences that they had already undergone. You are practically an innocent amongst them. That's why he's not forcing his feelings for you and that's why he doesn't expect you to like him immediately." When she still looked skeptical, Minerva tried a different approach. "Tell me, Hermione, out of all the students and professors had said, did you ever heard a 'James said I like you'?"

"N-no," Hermione stammered, unable to make eye contact. "They always said compliments."

"Was he ever pushy to you? Telling you that he likes you in every minute or two? Does he use childish and annoying ways to capture your attention like calling you in a different name or saying that he loves you in front of many witnesses? Does he prohibit you from talking to other young men? Does he boast about his Quidditch skills and magical abilities? Does he make it his life's mission to anger you just so you can acknowledge him?"

"No to all of those things," she muttered quietly. "He just says hi to me sometimes."

Minerva hummed noncommittally. "Trust me, Hermione. The way he approaches you is very different from the way he used to treat Miss Evans. Half of the time, he only ever did was annoy her and the reaction was enough for him. It was almost like a game of some sorts that he developed with her. They were explosive, the both of them."

"He has quite a history with Lily," Hermione noted.

"Yes, he has." Minerva eyed her sternly. "But it's all in the past. That shouldn't be the reason why you can't accept him and that shouldn't stop you from trying."

Hermione looked to be deep in thought. Minerva sat back and waited for her to come into a conclusion.

"I want to try," Hermione rushed out and it Minerva a moment for her to comprehend what she said.

"You want to try," the Transfiguration professor said slowly.

Hermione nodded her head resolutely. "Yes, I want to try. I want to give him a chance. There's always this feeling that I get in my stomach whenever I see him and I want to explore that. I want to see if it could be so much more than I thought. It's just that I don't know how to approach him or speak to him. He's always been so untouchable and I've never felt like this before."

"If you do this, there is no going back," Minerva warned her. If she did try and accept James, only for her to change her mind in the end, it would have consequences. She could hurt a lot of people in the process.

Hermione peered into her eyes. "I know."

Minerva smiled. "Good."


	14. James Potter III

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Fourteen **

_** James Potter III ** _

The next day, after talking to his friends who had reassured him for the hundredth time, James found himself standing in front of the doors that led to the library. He started pacing back and forth in the hallway before pausing in front of the door, only to growl in frustration and start pacing again. The leader of the Marauders felt unsurprisingly anxious; but he willed himself to calm down, knowing that if he didn't erase his doubts, he would never get anywhere with Hermione.

He had shown her the depths of his heart. Now, it was time to show her how serious he was with her.

"Hi, Hermione," James uttered in the empty hallway. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Hi, Hermione. I just want to know if you want to go out with me." He cringed when he felt his heart trying to burst out of his chest. "No, no. I don't want to come out too strong. I'll try again."

He cleared his throat and imagined talking to Hermione. His palms were getting sweaty at the thought. "Hi, Hermione. We might not have officially met but my name is James Potter. You probably know me since I was the one who planned the whole thing those weeks ago. I just want you to know that I like you so much. No, I love you. And I want to be with you but it's okay if you don't like me." James grimaced. "I'm just going to crawl into a corner and die. Bye."

James groaned and rubbed his face. "Keep it cool, James. Classy. You don't want Hermione running away, do you? Relax, Potter. This is the love of your life. This is your future wife. You got this."

He heaved out a long breath and stepped towards the closed doors, only to step back in shock when it opened to reveal Madame Pince who gave him her famous glare.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there all day?" She snarked before pushing herself back and going back behind her desk.

James blushed and hurriedly went inside. He headed towards the back corner of the library, knowing that it was her chosen spot because it gave her privacy. He sighed tenderly when he saw her buried under tomes as she wrote on her parchment, her bushy hair tied into a tight bun. Wisps of hair escaped and framed her beautiful face.

She looked so perfect.

James cleared his throat and she looked up, eyes widened in surprise. James' mouth dried when he was caught by her dark glittering gaze.

"Hi," James croaked out. He cleared his throat and repeated it again but this time it was clearer. "Hi. May I seat with you today?"

Hermione recovered from her shock and leaned back against her chair, a ghost of a smile playing her lips. "Well, if it isn't the infamous James Potter," she said in a teasing tone. "It's about time. I was beginning to think that you will never approach me. Please take a seat."

James nearly died. There were the longest sentences that she ever said to him. Usually, he would get a wave or a polite smile whenever he acknowledged her and although those things made his day, nothing compared to this. He always enjoyed listening to her voice — deeper and huskier than the rest of the girls but with a hint of feminism — when he discovered that there were many different voices she used. There was the Lecture Voice whenever she was answering a professor's question, the Did-You-Know Voice whenever she shared something to her Ravenclaw peers, the Polite Voice that she always used whenever she talked to the professors or someone she didn't know, and now her Teasing Voice that was directed at him.

James' ears burned as he sat on the chair across her. "Well, I'm here now." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Were you waiting for me to approach you?"

Hermione shrugged. "More or less," she replied. She smiled shyly and ducked her head. Her slender hands pulled at a gold chain that decorated her neck and James' attention was drawn to it. "I was curious about the boy who did all of those amazing things for me. I wanted to meet him."

James' heart fluttered in his chest when he recognized the gold chain but he forced himself to listen to Hermione. He was glad that he did.

"Really?" He couldn't keep the eagerness off his voice.

She laughed and James nearly died and gone to heaven. She was even more stunning up close. Her tawny eyes seemed to darken into whiskey when she laughed. And her laughter! Her laughter was more beautiful than a siren's song! It was addicting.

James mentally swooned.

"Really." Hermione nodded; her hands splayed on the open book on the table. "I was really flattered at the attention you gave me."

"You're welcome!" James said enthusiastically.

She looked at him carefully. "But you do know that you didn't have to do that, right?"

James paused. "Err, what?"

Hermione must've thought she offended him because she immediately rambled, "It's not that I don't appreciate the things you have done. I do! I really, really do. It was amazing, how you orchestrated the whole thing. The notes and the flowers were a nice touch. The chocolates were very impressive and very delicious. I was embarrassed, of course, and a bit surprised but those weren't unreasonable reactions. I never knew that you're aware that I existed—"

"Hermione," James interjected, peering into her eyes.

Hermione stopped. "Yes?" She said hesitantly.

"I was always aware that you existed," he told her soberly. "Ever since you came here, I've always noticed you."

Hermione sucked in a breath. "Really?"

How come she couldn't see how special and precious she was? Did she had any clue how hard his heart would pump against his chest just at the mere mention of her name? That the sight of her sent him into a blissful haze all throughout the day? That when she looked at him, he felt like the luckiest wizard in the world?

James smiled lopsidedly. "Really."

Hermione ducked her head but James still caught the smile on her lips. His own smile stretched in its own accord.

"What I meant to say," Hermione continued, stroking her hair back to her ear as she lifted her gaze, "was that you didn't have to do all of that just for me to, uhm, notice you. You can just talk to me. I don't bite if that's what you're afraid of."

James felt sheepish. "I guess I can do all of that," he acquiesced. "But I was nervous that you wouldn't take me seriously."

Hermione laughed again and James seriously considered going to the Hospital Wing after this conversation because of the fast pace his heart was beating at the moment.

"Well, that was certainly a great ice breaker," she said, clearing her throat. "I appreciate all of your effort. They were beautiful, all of it. But I'm a simple girl and I don't really need all of that. I'm not downgrading your efforts, don't get me wrong, please. All I'm saying is that I'd rather get to know the boy underneath the grand gestures, you know?"

James gulped and nodded. He understood what she meant and he found it extremely refreshing. Other girls would want to be with him just because he was James Potter, the leader of the famous Marauders and the Captain of the Quidditch Team. But Hermione didn't care about that.

Maybe it was time to show her what she really meant to him. The time to stop hiding behind notes or flowers or some other schemes that used to infuriate Lily Evans. Because his friends were right; Hermione was not Lily.

She was so much more.

She beamed and James swore he could see the sun shining behind it.

"I really like the chocolates, though," she confessed demurely.

James beamed back and made a mental note to himself.

Chocolates and freedom for house elves.

Consider it done.


	15. Alice Greengrass III

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Fifteen **

_** Alice Greengrass III ** _

Alice watched as Hermione fiddled with a gold chain around her neck, nibbling her lip and writing a line or two on a parchment. The blonde witch thought that it was new since she hadn't noticed her wearing it the first few months she came to Hogwarts. In fact, if Alice's calculations were right, Hermione's gold chain appeared right after she came back from Christmas break.

Someone must've given it to her as a gift.

"Hermione," Alice called the busy witch who only hummed as a response. She was quite busy trying to find other references of defensive spells for DADA. "What's that gold chain around your neck?"

Hermione went rigid, her fingers twitching on the chain that she unconsciously tugged whenever she was concentrating or nervous or embarrassed. "Oh? This? It's a Christmas present."

Alice was curious. "May I see?"

Hermione hesitated as she slowly took out the pendant of the gold chain with careful hands. Alice gasped when she saw the Galleon sized and shaped pendant; it was a locket with ancient runes carved inside the circle. The chain was quite long as the locket hung down to the center of her chest.

"That must've cost a fortune!" Alice exclaimed. "Can you open it?"

Hermione smiled as she opened the locket. Suddenly, beautiful piano music played as blue smoke emerged from the inside of the locket to form two incorporeal figures, a phantomlike man and a woman wearing winter clothes and ice skates. The figures started skating and dancing together in tune with the music. Alice watched in awe until Hermione closed the locket with a click.

"Woah." Alice was still amazed. "That was beautiful. Who gave it to you?"

Hermione tucked the locket inside her robes. "I don't know. It was just under the tree with the rest of my presents. The note only had my name written."

"Professor McGonagall didn't give it to you?"

Hermione shook her head no. Alice sat back, dumbfounded. The locket was beyond beautiful and, as much as she hated being prejudiced and pretentious, only pureblood families could afford a magical locket like that. Alice had a suspicion who gave it to her.

"Maybe James Potter gave that to you," Alice suggested.

Hermione's eyes widened a fraction and her cheeks coloured. Alice grinned. The brunette was probably remembering the greetings that she had gotten from various of students all throughout the day about James this and that. Alice could never forget the look of helplessness and ambiguity on her face, as though she didn't quite know what to do and what was happening.

Alice was torn between finding her adorable and iring when she was like that. She wondered when phase two would happen and what scheme had James concocted by then. It better not be some Lily-recycled plan because she would slap James in the face if that happened. Hermione was not Lily and if James would treat her like she was, Alice would kill him with her bare hands.

Hermione shook her head adamantly. "No, he wouldn't." She looked away and started writing on a parchment.

"Hermione, only pureblood families can afford a magical locket like that," Alice informed her. "Since James clearly fancies you, it's no doubt that he got that for you." She sighed at the stubborn jut of Hermione's jaw. "Fine, I'll prove it to you. Can you take out your locket again?"

Hermione was reluctant when she pulled it out and showed it to her.

"Can you flip the locket and check the back?" Alice requested.

When she did, Alice was shocked as well as smug.

"Hermione, that's a family heirloom," she gasped in awe. "See that? That's the Potter house crest and the Latin words below? It's their family motto: _The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death._ Hermione, that thing is priceless and James just gave that to you."

"But why?" Hermione was again adopting her helpless look.

Alice decided not to bang her head on the bookshelf. "I told you already that—" She started patiently but Hermione cut her off.

"No, no, no. I know that." Hermione had the decency to look exasperated. "I meant something different."

"What?" Alice was starting to get irritated.

"I didn't get him any gift!"

Irritation was swept under the rug and laughter burst out from Alice's lips as Hermione stared at her, looking a bit lost. Alice had a good few minutes of laughter before she quickly shut her mouth close, aware that Madame Pince could storm into their direction and decide to kick them out of the library any time.

Hermione would never forgive her if that happened. The library was practically her baby.

"That's what you're worried about?" Alice grinned.

"It's a serious matter!" Hermione scowled at her, tugging her gold chain again. "I didn't buy him anything and he got me something so beautiful. What will I do?"

Alice shrugged. "Then why don't you buy something for him?"

Hermione pursed her lips as she was swallowed by the tidal waves of her thoughts. Alice didn't mind. She was used to Hermione thinking all the time. The year hadn't even been over but she could see hints of Lily striving harder to up Hermione. The redhead never really liked to be bested.

"You're right," Hermione said finally. "I'll think about it once this essay is finished."

Alice nodded and hid a grin by bowing her head. She knew that Hermione was stewing over what to give to James Potter even if she was trying to distract herself with her essay. She wondered what Hermione would give to him.

Knowing James, Hermione could give him anything, even a piece of parchment, and he would treasure it like a Goblin harbored its gold.


	16. Hermione Granger

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Sixteen **

_** Hermione Granger ** _

"Look behind you," Alice whispered to her with a teasing smile on her lips.

Hermione looked over her shoulder and her cheeks heated when she saw hazel eyes watching her from the Gryffindor table. James Potter was staring at her.

James wasn't the least guilty for getting caught. He flashed her a brilliant smile and an exuberant wave that she returned although hers was calmer.

She turned to Alice, tugging at a familiar gold chain around her neck. "Does he always do that?"

Alice nodded. "More or less."

"Since when?" She glanced at him again. This time he was talking to a boy with long raven hair and a roguish grin that resembled Regulus Black. It was Sirius.

Hermione noted that despite being distracted by his friend, James was still glancing at her from time to time as though he couldn't help it. It made her smile slightly.

"Since you came here," Alice replied. "Don't tell me you never noticed it."

She craned her neck to look at her. "I don't."

Hermione was a bit shocked. Almost everyone she talked to had mentioned something about James' infatuation with her but she never truly believed them. She was there the second week of term and she saw the way he followed a beautiful redheaded girl around like a puppy. Although it gradually stopped, she assumed that he started to like somebody else but she never thought it was her.

Their encounters were minimal—probably because they were from different houses—but when they did meet, whether it was in the hallway, classroom or in the library, James was always the first to greet her. Half of the time, she was surprised but she returned his polite greetings in kind. There was that one time in the library where he scolded Sirius for cursing and proceeded to call her beautiful, but she thought he did it out of kindness since she stopped the books from attacking them. Now, after he finally approached her and they started talking in the library, she knew that he genuinely thought she was attractive and he was attracted to her.

She never considered that she'd catch anyone's attention, much more a boy. She knew she wasn't pretty. She was plain and simple. She never put effort into her looks because she never had reason to, especially since she spent all of her time with her father before and that didn't require pampering herself. She didn't know what James had seen in her to be honest. There were a lot of other beautiful girls that resided in the castle, Alice Greengrass included. Honestly, Hermione had never seen so many people in one vicinity and almost all of them were borderline gorgeous.

Hermione couldn't understand why James picked her out of all of them. It reminded her of the romance books that she read and hid from her father (because anything less than educational was prohibited in the house). Through the help of books, she understood what it was like to be a teenager and a young adult although the reality was far more overwhelming. In books, the main characters knew exactly what to say and knew what to do. In reality, Hermione found out that it was more complicated than that.

Alice had practically adopted her the moment she sat in the Ravenclaw table. She was a blessing in disguise, asking her about her life with genuine interest and treating her like she was her longtime friend. By the time the night ended, Hermione smiled so wide till her cheeks hurt and laughed so hard that her stomach ached. The rest of the Ravenclaws slowly warmed up to her, seeing her shyness and innocence as endearing and refreshing. There were the occasional competitive sorts who hated to be bested but the others all took good care of her, always patient with her questions, and Hermione had never felt so welcomed until that moment.

Before coming to Hogwarts, Aunt Minerva had taken pity on her and informed her of the pureblood and social customs that were expected to young witches like her. They weren't sure if Hermione was a pureblood or a half-blood but Aunt Minerva was thorough with her information, never leaving anything out 'just in case.' Sometimes, Hermione's chest would hurt whenever she saw her aunt because she was so similar to her late father.

Hermione never mentioned that she already knew the pureblood customs because her father had thoroughly educated her. She felt that her aunt just wanted to do something for her so she kept her mouth shut.

Despite Alice educating her about the things that girls normally did and the things about boys and girls, Hermione didn't know what to do with James' affections. The things that he did were a bit embarrassing at first but after talking to her aunt and friends, and a bit of self-reflecting, she found that she didn't mind most of it at all. James was very passionate about—Hermione shifted in her seat—her. He didn't have problems showing and saying things that proved that his emotions ran deeper than the Pacific for her.

His confidence in himself and his feelings sometimes made Hermione feel anxious and a bit intimidated. However, it dawned on her that Aunt Minerva's statements were true, that despite all the things he had done and said, he had never tried to push her. Not once. Sure, there were a lot of staring — if Alice's words were to be believed in — and there were the cheeky but sweet gestures that he and the whole school orchestrated for her. However, when Hermione would examine his actions in a deeper context, she found that he was content to do it, that he was willing to be patient with her and silently telling her that she should take her time because he wasn't going anywhere.

Whenever she thought about it, her heart would flutter, her skin would feel tingly, her stomach would erupt into butterflies, and her cheeks would never fail to radiate with heat. James wasn't a saint but he was incredibly sweet, and Hermione couldn't fathom how Lily stayed away from him or why Lily hated him so much when all he had done was offer his heart to her. How had the Gryffindor redhead not managed to notice how much thought and effort James put into the things that he was passionate about?

Oh, Hermione wasn't blind. She knew that James Potter was an arrogant and conceited young man who believed that everyone adored him and he couldn't do anything wrong. She could see it in the way he swaggered throughout the whole school, the way he puffed out his chest whenever the teachers commented on his skills, the way he smirked whenever he caught a girl looking at him, and the way he would smile charmingly as though he was an angel. He laughed when he hexed Slytherins and he would grin when he was sent into detention. In a way, Hermione could see the reasons why Lily disliked him immensely.

However, it didn't mean that James was a bad person. Yes, he was arrogant, conceited and felt entitled but so were the other purebloods, especially the Blacks. It was probably because of his pureblood upbringing that made him that way. But despite all of that, Hermione saw the differences between James Potter and the rest of the purebloods.

She saw kindness. She saw sincerity. She saw courage. She saw a brave young man with a sense of honor, who was willing to risk himself so he could avenge and help others. She knew because she had seen one of his confrontations with a group Slytherins and one Ravenclaw, how much those people had bullied a little Hufflepuff First Year girl, and how he defended her when he saw what they did.

It was bad luck that Lily herself, the perfect Prefect, discovered the things that James had done to the Slytherins and had begun screaming at him. James however took it all into stride, rolling the insults off his back like it was ripples of water. He didn't react when Lily took points and gave him detention. He never said anything, smiling lopsidedly as Lily scolded him as if he was used to it but Hermione could clearly see that he was hurt despite how good he was at hiding it.

Hermione's heart had broken for him when Lily left him in the middle of the corridor. This was the girl that people said was kindhearted and smart, but she was too blind to see past all the things James had done that she assumed were bad. Because, contrary to Lily's belief, Hermione knew that James' actions were never borne out of malicious intent. Even his pranks were harmless and were just meant to be laughed at but Lily always treated them as though they were the bane of her existence. Unless prompted or provoked, James never bothered anyone.

James was so precious. He wore his heart in his sleeves and his eyes reflected the depths of his soul. He loved fiercely and passionately and he cared with his very being. James fascinated her. How could someone like him project so many emotions all at once? He did things out of love, not just to show that he could do it.

Why come Lily had never bothered to see it? Hermione could and she only knew him for handful of months. She supposed that she found irony in seeing James as a person but didn't see his romantic feelings for her from a mile away.

"I never noticed," Hermione told her friend.

Alice rolled her eyes playfully. "That's not entirely surprising," she deadpanned.

Hermione's cheeks reddened. Alice grinned.

"But at least you're catching up, right?"

Indeed, she was.


	17. James Potter IV

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Seventeen **

_** James Potter IV ** _

For all his grand declarations and romantic notions, James quite messed up their first date, much to the shock of everyone else once they found out.

James had woken up late that day and because of that, he was frantic as he prepared for their date. He was hurrying towards the carriages and got distracted by Hermione who was waiting for him to arrive. She waved at him when she saw him. He ran towards her, only to slip on thin ice and land painfully on his face, groaning when he felt something painful on his feet. He was now sporting a rather nasty bruise on his forehead and a sprained ankle that resulted from the accident.

Hermione insisted that he should mend his injuries in the Hospital Wing although he tried to reason with her that he was fine. He really wasn't because his ankle felt like it was broken. Secretly, he was thrilled to find that she cared so much about him and he let himself bask in her care and concern. It was a damn good feeling.

In the end, Hermione won (mostly because James couldn't resist her, his queen), and they trekked towards Hogwarts together with James leaning heavily on her. They were midway when it began pouring so they had to half limp and half sprint towards the castle. Although he enjoyed Hermione's shirt sticking to her skin, he didn't particularly like the fact that he was wet and cold and his ankle was bothering him. Thankfully, Hermione knew how to dry clothes so they didn't end up shivering and dripping with water when they reached the Hospital Wing.

"I'm really sorry, Hermione," he mumbled as she dabbed a healing salve on his bruise. His ankle was now healed with magic by Madame Pomfrey who left them for some reason.

Her eyes darted to his and James was glad that he was sitting on the bed. Otherwise, he would've fallen down as his legs turned to jelly when she looked at him. She was sitting so close to him that he could see the gold and amber flecks that he didn't know existed in her eyes, mingling and mixing with the warm brown colour with a hint of red.

He inhaled and his stomach turned to mush when he smelled her scent. It was an interesting combination of old books, parchment and grass, and he could imagine her reading outside in the sun, her back against a tree as she sat on the grass with her legs stretched out. Her breath was a mouthwatering honeysuckle and treacle tart, and James resisted the urge to lick his lips. He briefly wondered if she ate chocolate and treacle tart for breakfast that morning but he had a feeling that it was all natural just like the rest of her.

Up close, he could see the glint of the gold chain that she wore around her neck. He noticed she was wearing it ever since Christmas break ended. His heart nearly gave out at the thought of her not taking it off.

"What are you sorry for, James?"

The Animagus snapped his eyes up and heat crept to his cheeks. "Because I ruined everything. This was supposed to be a great day, you know? I have it all planned out. I should've bought you every candy at Honeydukes and a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. I shouldn't have woken up late or slipped on ice or got myself sprained, and we shouldn't have been drenched in rain. This should've been a memorable occasion. It shouldn't have started like this. It was supposed to be perfect." He huffed and pouted.

Hermione's hand fell to her side and tilted her head as she regarded him. "You know that I didn't have to do this," she waved the healing salve, "because I can let Madame Pomfrey do it, right?"

It took a moment for James to realize what she meant and he jerked in his seat as it sunk in. He hadn't thought about that. He was too busy fretting over the ruined date that he didn't think that it was unusual when Madame Pomfrey left them all of the sudden.

She smiled at his expression. "But I didn't because despite that this was not the date that we were both expecting, I still want to spend some time with you. It doesn't matter if it's not perfect but at least it's a memorable one," she added.

James wanted to argue with her because, whilst she might not believe it, she deserved perfection. But before he could open his mouth, she did something to make him stop.

He froze when he felt her soft lips touching his cheek and he was incapable to move, to breathe, to speak because she was kissing him. His cheek. And her lips were moist and warm and he never wanted to wash his face ever again.

She pulled back with a small, shy smile on her lips. "Don't argue with me," she said as she applied more salve on his forehead. "Besides, the day is far from over, isn't it?"

It took a moment for James to respond but when he did, it was dripping with mirth. "Yes. Right. You're correct."

Her smile was so radiant to the point that it burned in his memory, sealed forever for James to remember for the rest of his life. He promised to himself to make it all better the next time because he wasn't kidding when he thought she deserved so much more than the dreary Hospital Wing that smelled of foul potions. For now, he would do his best to make the date salvageable or else, he would not hear the end of this from Sirius.

Her smile certainly made it all better though!

The carriages had already left and the rain lifted by the time his bruise was healed. Hermione seemed to be disappointed, thinking that they had missed Hogsmeade day. James felt guilty for ruining her first Hogsmeade experience but the day was far from over and he was James Potter. There was nothing he couldn't do. So, he led her to a statue of Gunhilda of Gorsemoor, ignoring her look of confusion.

James pulled out his 11 inches mahogany wand and tapped the statue. " _Dissendium._ " At his incantation, the statue moved to reveal a secret passageway that made Hermione gasp.

"How did—" She stopped and blinked at James. She slowly smiled. "You really are full of surprises."

James puffed his chest, proud at himself for impressing her.

Together, they slid inside the passageway and into the tunnel, the statue immediately closing behind them. James muttered a _Lumos_ to light the tip of his wand and Hermione did the same. James darted a glance at her, admiring her face under the white light. She looked otherworldly.

"You're staring at me again," Hermione suddenly said, making him snap his eyes to the front.

"Is it wrong?" He asked hesitantly and couldn't help sneaking another glance.

Hermione chuckled. "It is kind of unnerving to know that someone watches my every action."

James paled. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!" He said hastily.

Hermione smiled. "I know. Just keep the staring to a minimum."

James nodded and looked away, rubbing his nape almost awkwardly. He cleared his throat. "Do you like it here? At Hogwarts?" He questioned.

Something crossed in Hermione's eyes. "It's different from what I'm used to," she told him, her voice soft like marshmallows. "Hogwarts is a beautiful place. I have never seen anything like it. But if I were given to choose, I'd rather be at home with my father."

"You miss him," he concluded.

Hermione nodded slowly. "I do. He was not a good man and he was very strict with me. But he was all I had; you know? He took care of me when my mother died giving birth to me. I admire him greatly for taking responsibility, for acting as both mother and father. It's not an easy job."

"I'm sorry for your loss." James didn't know what it felt like to lose someone but he knew that he'd miss his parents greatly if they ever were to pass through the veil.

"Thank you." She gave him a watery smile. "I'm getting better though. Aunt Minerva and I are making a connection and trying to become a family. Sometimes, I see father in her. They're both wickedly brilliant."

"You are brilliant too," he told her earnestly.

Hermione chuckled amusedly. "I try." She looked straight ahead. "So, where does this tunnel lead to exactly?"

"To Honeydukes." James grinned. "You'll love it there. They've got all kinds of sweets. Speaking of sweets, what's your favorite?" He questioned as he hopped over a large rock.

"Oh, Sugar Quills." Hermione grinned. "There's also chocolates although I'm not really fond of Chocolate Frogs."

"Why not?" James gaped. Chocolate Frogs were his favorite especially if he had gotten a good card. He had quite an impressive collection. "They're quite good."

"I know. I just don't fancy eating chocolate that looks like animals or amphibians."

James could see her point. He smirked at her. "It's a good thing there are no chocolate lizards, right?"

Hermione made a look of disgust that sent James laughing. Finally, they made it to the end and after making sure that no one was near them or standing on the trapdoor with a spell, James opened the door and quickly went inside Honeydukes. He helped pull Hermione up—an excuse to hold her hand, his subconscious supplied—before closing the door and they both grinned at each other as they carefully made their way to the front of the store.

Hermione gasped at the number of candies in the store. Some, in a form of strawberry butterflies and chocolate fireflies, were even flying overhead and there were third years that were trying to catch them. James grinned at her reaction and offered her his arm. She beamed and wove her arm around his.

"So, Sugar Quills?" He got her a packet.

"Chocolate Frogs?" Hermione grabbed one from the opposite shelf.

"I thought you don't like Chocolate Frogs?" James questioned, cocking his head at the puzzle in front of him.

Hermione ducked her head shyly. "Yes, but you like them, don't you?"

"How did you know?" James grinned. "Could it be? Are you not the only one who is being watched here? Oh, I feel so violated," he added dramatically.

"Hush you." Hermione playfully scowled at him before grabbing five Chocolate Frogs and shoving them in his arms. "Let's go to the counter and pay for those. I want to see the whole of Hogsmeade before the day ends."

They both turned towards the counter although James did snatch a pink cotton candy that resembled a cloud in the air and a box of Bertie's Every Flavor Beans. When Hermione saw this, she just shook her head amusedly at the latter. At first, Hermione wanted to pay but James insisted since this was a date and, since he had ruined the first half of the day, that he should be the one to pay. Hermione had scowled but agreed in the end although James had to promise that he'd let her pay next time — which was bloody unlikely. His mother would kill him if he let Hermione pay.

Next, they walked around Hogsmeade and debated around what store to see next. Hermione wanted to go to the bookstore and James wanted to go to the prank shop. Of course, they settled their debate with a muggle game that James learned from Remus of all people: rocks, papers, and scissors. It was two out of three and Hermione won. James had whined as she dragged him towards the bookstore. As soon as they got inside, Hermione grabbed a Quidditch magazine from a rack and put it in his hand with a smile before perusing the next bookshelf.

James had been successfully distracted and he thought idly that if this was the start of a routine. He could imagine them a little older, debating to go to the bookstore or the prank shop or Quidditch store and then settling the decision to a muggle game. She'd win, go to a bookstore and he'd wait for her to finish whilst reading a Quidditch magazine in the corner. It made him feel a little dizzy with excitement and content. It sounded like the perfect world to him.

"I'm done!" Hermione chirped. "Let's go to the counter."

James' jaw dropped at the sight of three thick books that rivalled Hogwarts, A History. He chuckled as he folded the magazine, planning to buy it with the books. "Do you want me to carry it for you?" He questioned, knowing that she was probably going to refuse to establish her independence.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and to his surprise, she gave two of the three books to him and then a bright smile. He smiled back. They paid for the books and together, they walked towards the Three Broomsticks to grab a bite. On the way, he somehow clasped hands with Hermione, intertwining their fingers as he pointed out a few shops and told her what it sold. Hermione didn't seem to notice that they were holding hands as she listened avidly to James.

"So, uh, did you have a great time?" James questioned bashfully as he rubbed his nape and opened the door to the Three Broomsticks for her.

Hermione turned to him and squeezed his hand gently. "I did. You don't have to be nervous, James. This is my first time so I can't really base anything on past experiences but from what I gather, you are doing wonderfully." Her fingers brushed his hair and James nearly purred.

"I just want you to have fun."

Hermione chuckled. "I want you to have fun as well. We can't have a second date if the both of us aren't having a great time."

James perked up. "There's a second date?"

Hermione laughed as an answer.

They both made it inside the Three Broomsticks which was filled to the brim. Fortunately, James had spotted a private and unoccupied booth close to the bar and they both sat across each other. James waved at Madame Rosmerta who was serving drinks at the other table and turned to Hermione after she waved back.

"So, what do you like to get?" James asked. "Personally, I recommend the Shepherd's pie. Madame Rosmerta makes pies to die for." Of course, he said that because he knew Hermione liked pies. And treacle tart.

Hermione smiled appreciatively. "I'd like to try that. Thank you."

"Want some butterbeer to go as well?"

She nodded. It was not a moment later that Madame Rosmerta stopped by to their table. James saw her eyes widening when she had gotten a good look of the person across him and shot him a questioning glance. It didn't bother James because she knew about Lily so she must've been shock to find a different girl with him.

"Madame Rosmerta, this is Hermione Granger," he proudly introduced the brunette with a puff of his chest. "She's a new student at Hogwarts. Hermione, this is Madame Rosmerta, the owner of this fine establishment."

"It's nice to meet you, Madame," Hermione said softly, nodding at her with a small smile.

"You as well." The older witch turned to James. "So, I'm guessing that this is a date?"

"Our first one!" James was practically bouncing in his seat because of his excitement.

Hermione shook her head fondly at him as he beamed at her. Madame Rosmerta smiled at this.

"So, what will it be?"

"We'll take two slices of Shepherd's pie and two butterbeers."

"Please," Hermione added, giving James a pointed look.

James blushed in embarrassment. "Please," he repeated to their waitress.

Madame Rosmerta laughed and patted his shoulder. "I like her already. Make sure to keep her."

"If she'll let me," he said, hazel pools flicking towards Hermione who smiled back at her.

"We'll see," she mouthed at him.

James beamed.

The Hogsmeade trip and, in effect, their date was over far too soon for James' liking. When Hermione had told James that she never experienced riding the carriages to Hogwarts since she arrived by Flooing in her first day, James made it his life's mission to find the perfect carriage for her. Once the Prefects and Head Boy and Girl began hoarding the students to the carriage, James led Hermione to their own carriage and he spent the whole ride watching Hermione look out the window. Occasionally, Hermione would look at him and he would be given a smile that tugged his heart.

They arrived at Hogwarts and even though he didn't want to part with Hermione, the rest of her Ravenclaw peers were already keen on getting details of their date from her and Sirius had started another fight with a group of Slytherins all by himself. With one last rueful glance at each other, they both separated to their own ways, Hermione being dragged by Alice and James being carted off by Remus and Peter.


	18. Sirius Black II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter can be said after the events of Chapter 11. Thank you.

** Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

** Chapter Eighteen **

_** Sirius Black II ** _

Sirius tangled his fingers through his silky raven hair as he approached Hermione who was sitting on the grass and reading another one of her books. He shook his head mentally. He didn't get her. The sun was shining, the air wasn't too hot or too cold, and she chose to spend the day reading a book instead of spending time with her friends. It seemed that James' witch was a book lover just like Lily. His best friend must have a thing for bookworms.

"Hey, Granger," he said abruptly as he stopped in front of her, shielding the sunlight with his back.

She looked up from her book, eyebrows twitching upwards in surprise. "Sirius," she said as a greeting, closing her book gently in her lap before standing up.

The raven-haired man looked away from her. "I want to say thank you, by the way."

"For what?" Hermione was confused.

"For convincing Reggie to talk to me," he said. "I heard you two talking that night. It helped a lot."

Her tawny brown eyes melted into honey as she smiled at him. "You're welcome, Sirius. Although I do remember you sending me Chocolate Frogs as a thank you this Christmas."

Sirius cleared his throat and tried not to fidget. Saying his gratitude for someone wasn't his forte as well as apologizing. If Regulus hadn't given him grief for not thanking her properly, he wouldn't have approached her in the first place. Despite James' infatuated with the witch, Sirius never had gotten the chance to know her. For him, she was just the girl who captured James' interest, a schoolmate in a different house, and his brother's friend. Nothing else. Someone to remember but easy to forget. He supposed that when she and James would get together, they'd probably see more of each other. He figured that this might be the perfect time to get friendly with her.

"Well, that was before Reggie told me that you didn't like those kinds of chocolates. You might've misunderstood the gift since it probably sends a different message other than thank you. Just clarifying it for you."

She laughed and Sirius was reminded of the poetic words that James used to spill in order to describe her laugh or some other things he noticed about her. Sirius didn't remember half of it but he did recall him saying that her laughter sounded similar to wind chimes. Sirius hummed. James was right about that.

"I'm glad that you and your brother are reunited again," she said to him with a wide smile that seemed to make her face glow gold.

Sirius grinned easily; her smile was surprisingly infectious. He realized over Christmas break that she had a nice smile but he never really gotten a good look until now. James told him countless of times that he fell in love with her smile and Sirius was starting to see the reason why. Her smile brought out the natural rosy color of her cheeks and brightened the brown color of her irises. She didn't look plain for once but, dare he say it, desirable.

"Well, it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't interfered," said Sirius, smirking charmingly. "Thank you again."

"And you're welcome, again." Hermione laughed then she looked at him somberly. "He really missed you, you know? He's so afraid of what your family will do to him and he desperately wants you to help him. I'm happy that he doesn't have to be alone."

Sirius gulped and shuffled his feet. He was stunned and puzzled; Regulus had trusted her enough to tell her about the status of their family. He wondered how she did it, how she had made his brother spill his secrets to her.

"I missed him too," he confessed quietly. "He doesn't have to worry about them anymore though. I'll take him out of the house. I'm already staying with James' family. I'm sure that they'll be glad to have Regulus along."

Sirius didn't know why he said that. Maybe because there was actual genuine concern in her voice, suggesting that she cared about Regulus' well-being. Regulus needed people who cared about him and Hermione obviously did. Or maybe it was because Regulus trusted her with the truth and Sirius felt as though he could tell her anything too because of her connection to his younger brother.

"So, what else do you come here for?" Hermione questioned, brushing her locks behind her ear.

Odd question but what else did he came here for? He scrutinized her and remembered James' infatuation with her. This was the perfect opportunity to ask her what she felt about him to be honest just to put his best friend out of his misery.

Sirius smirked. "I want to talk to you about James Potter."

Hermione straightened and blushed prettily in the sunlight. Sirius could definitely see what James saw in her. She wasn't like the girls Sirius used to spend time with who were obviously really pretty with their silky hair, striking eyes, and sultry voice. Hermione was rather plain compared to them but Sirius could see that she had the potential to become pretty if she started paying attention to her looks.

He wondered briefly if he could get her to have a makeover. It'd knock James off his feet.

"What about James Potter?" She enquired gingerly as she fingered the book in her arms.

A way to distract herself, Sirius thought.

"James likes you," he bluntly told her.

Her breath caught at his abrupt statement but she composed herself quickly.

"So, I've been told," she said wryly.

Sirius' silver pools narrowed. "You don't believe it?"

Regulus told them that Hermione was dense when it came to romance but he never thought that she would be this dense. He thought that she was at least clever. She was a Ravenclaw after all. Had she thought that James did those things just for fun?

It made him feel irrationally angry for James. His best friend had been hurt enough by Evans, chasing after her like a damn pup, always looking lost whenever she treated him like dirt, and never giving up despite the times the redhead brought him down. Sirius didn't like her for being so high and mighty, like she felt entitled and they should kiss her ass because she graced by then with her presence. Of course, he only put up with her because James liked her. Sirius wouldn't give her the time of day if he hadn't.

When James spoke about another girl that wasn't Lily, he had been ecstatic. Finally, James was free from the wicked witch's cage and chains. And then this chit—this Hermione—didn't believe James' feelings, just like Lily. Sirius could already feel the resentment building for a witch other than the uptight redhead.

"He hasn't really tried to approach me, has he?" Hermione morosely looked straight ahead to the Black Lake.

Sirius' resentment burst like a bubble when he saw how crestfallen she looked.

"So, you're just waiting for him then?" Sirius raised his brows. He suddenly felt bad for judging her so quickly.

Hermione huffed. "Don't get me wrong, the flowers, chocolates and notes are all very nice but I'd rather he just told me that he likes me."

"James is nervous," Sirius defended his best friend, as was his usual response.

"And do you think that I'm not? Do you think that he's the only one who's nervous?" Hermione countered as she turned to him. "Because I am too. This is the first time that anyone showed interest in me and made me feel like this. Frankly, I'm scared. I'm willing to give James a chance but I don't think he can ever move forward."

"He spent too many years chasing the girl rather than getting the girl, Granger," Sirius remarked drily. "Forgive him if he's a little slow, yeah? He doesn't want to scare you away and get rejected again."

"Not all girls are the same," Hermione said heatedly, glaring at him with fire in her eyes that stunned Sirius. "Not everyone is going to say no to him. And last time I checked, I'm Hermione, not Lily. Tell your best friend that." She pivoted and stomped away.

Sirius watched her walking away, feeling as though he witnessed something extraordinary. He didn't know that underneath her demure and innocent surface had a fire breathing dragon underneath that was waiting to be unleashed. The fury in her eyes kind of turned him on but Sirius shook it away, knowing that this was James' girl.

Still, he turned towards the castle, she was rather pretty with her eyes flashing like that.

He couldn't stop chuckling as he headed towards the school. He was going to have to talk to the other two Marauders later and help James get his head unstuck in his ass. Right now, he was going to find someone to snog in a broom cupboard just to forget rosy cheeks, wild brown hair, and honey eyes.

Damn. James was a lucky bastard.


End file.
